New Delhi: Pakistan has notched a third major success in exporting the JF-17, with Azerbaijan becoming the latest country to add the fighter jet to its fleet.
This comes at a time when the Caucasian country is locked in a standoff with its neighbour, Armenia, after taking the Nagorno-Karabakh region from it. While Azerbaijan is moving away from its traditional arms supplier, Russia, and growing closer to Turkey and Pakistan, Armenia has been deepening its defence ties with India, which is already a major supplier to the country.
Pakistan’s success with the JF-17—developed jointly with China and co-produced by the two countries— also comes even as India is trying to export the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), but no talks have borne fruit as yet.
The acquisition of the JF-17s was announced by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Iran, Ali Alizada, in a post on X Wednesday. Alizada has also served as envoy to Pakistan.
On that day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inspected a JF-17C (Block III) aircraft at capital Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport, where it was showcased as part of a defence exhibition. Aliyev was accompanied by Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and senior Pakistani military officials.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan inked the $1.6-billion deal in February. Under the agreement, Azerbaijan will receive eight JF-17C Block-III aircraft from Pakistan besides ammunition. This will include the air-to-surface missiles.
The lightweight and multirole JF-17C fighter jets are co-produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). They have air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities and high manoeuvrability at medium and low altitudes, as described in a report by Türkiye Today.
Pakistan has previously exported JF-17s to Myanmar and Nigeria, and there have also been reports that Iraq may purchase the fighters.
In Myanmar, however, the fighters—acquired between 2019 and 2021 following an agreement signed in 2016—were declared unfit last year, prompting its military junta to send a “stern message” to Islamabad. The Myanmar Air Force grounded the jets due to malfunctions and flaws, The Economic Times reported.
source : theprint